The last CU Wizards show this year sends the millenium out not with a bang but a boom.
"BOOM! The Physics of Sound and Air Pressure" will be on Friday, Dec. 31. The show is at 10 a.m. in CU-Boulder's Duane Physics building, room G1B30.
University of Colorado at Boulder Professor Michael Dubson of physics will use various props, including a bullwhip, hydrogen-filled balloons and home-made and high-tech musical instruments to explain the scientific aspects of sound and air pressure. Highlights of the show include a "virtual" airplane flight on computer to see whether planes can fly upside down, a bed of nails and the implosion of a 50-gallon steel drum.
The show also has many audience participatory demonstrations including: playing an electric "Theremin," which emits sounds with the wave of a hand in the air near its antenna; testing the audience members' hearing, which will show that children can hear high-frequencies better than adults; and showing how certain gases, such as helium, can make people sound like "munchkins."
Dubson said he enjoys doing the Wizards show because he likes to talk to audiences that are there because they want to be. "The Wizards' audience is usually more receptive than my 8 a.m. classes," he said. Dubson said he hopes to make an impression on the students and also to clarify that sound effects on shows like "Star Trek" and "Star Wars" are inaccurate since there is no air, and therefore no friction to create sound, in space.
The CU Wizards series is an annual program that provides an informal introduction to astronomy, chemistry and physics, intended primarily for students in grades 5 through 9. It includes presentations by CU-Boulder faculty in various areas of expertise, ranging from biology to astrophysics.
Free parking is available in lot 436, east of the Engineering Center; lot 378, east of the stadium; and lots 169 and 396, north of the stadium. Closer parking also is available in the Euclid Avenue Autopark for a nominal fee.
Anyone with a disability or special need should notify the physics office at (303) 492-6952 a few days in advance of the show. The best wheelchair access to the Duane Physics building is through the east doors.
The next show in the CU Wizards series is "Biology of Muscles and Motion" by Professor Todd Gleeson, biology professor and associate vice chancellor for academic affairs. 'Muscles and Motion' will be on Saturday, Jan. 29, at 9:30 a.m. in the Duane Physics building, room G1B30.
For general information about the CU Wizards series call (303) 492-4318.